Consumers who use one-time-use cameras (OTUCs) often desire the ability to incorporate special effects into images. Special effects may include superimposing special text or additional images onto an original captured image, adjusting the color content of the image or otherwise modifying the appearance on image. However, cost and camera size limitations can limit the number of controls and features that are included in such cameras and can make it challenging to incorporate such features in such cameras. The term “one-time-use camera” is used herein to refer to cameras that are provided to consumers in preloaded form and cannot be reloaded, by the consumer, without extensive camera disassembly, or replacement of parts, or use of special tools, or the like. OTUCs are widely available at this time. Unless the film in the OTUC contains pre-exposed special effects or images, those who use OTUCs generally have to rely on manual photo editing tools to add special effects in an image.
Various systems have been devised to allow camera-users to associate image related metadata with captured images. Such metadata includes information that is associated with an image but does not necessarily appear in the image itself. The metadata can include information that can be used to process captured images, organize captured images, and modify captured images. Such metadata can be particularly useful in providing instructions asking a photofinisher to incorporate special effects into a selected image.
One way to transfer metadata from a camera to a photofinisher is to use an encodement. An encodement is a feature of physical media used to communicate one or more pieces of information to a machine, and can include alphanumeric text and other indicia. U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,013 discloses a one-time-use camera employing a prerecorded machine readable encodement that modifies captured images to convey metadata that is read during processing, i.e., printing of the photograph or viewable digital image display. The camera has also a sighting guide identifying the part of the image subject to modification.
For instance, an encodement might be written to the film itself as is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,013. Alternatively, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,737 discloses a system for controlling the photofinishing of photographic film wherein the film has a magnetic layer on which an instructional code is placed by the manufacturer or the user to provide directions for photofinishing. This photographic system requires a predetermined code be placed on the magnetic layer or requires a means to allow the consumer to apply the instructional code to the magnetic layer. Various systems of this type are known in the art.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,173,119 and 6,381,416 disclose the use of a radio-frequency identification transponder mounted in the body of a camera or affixed to an image capture media, such as photographic film, to provide information or data that is accessible from a distance. The term “radio-frequency identification transponder” is used herein principally to refer to any of a class of compact radio receiver-transmitters which are powered by an ambient radio-frequency field. Direct physical contact or close proximity to this type of transponder is unnecessary to obtain information from these transponders. These transponders typically have sufficient memory to store relatively large amounts of data including, but not limited to, set-up parameters for a photofinishing device, instructions for modifying the captured images, or request, for specific services.
While the systems described in the '013, '737, '119 and '416 applications provide commercially viable and valuable models, other solutions that are both useful and economically viable under other circumstances are also desirable. In particular, it will be appreciated that one-time-use cameras are typically recycled after use and components thereof are used to build new cameras. However, introducing new camera components and/or film types into an existing stock of recyclable camera parts fragments the stock into a portion having existing components and a portion having new components. This fragmentation can create challenges during recycling. Thus, what is needed is a system for associating metadata such as special effect metadata with captured images that does not create such challenges.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,127 discloses a special effects filter that surrounds a one-time-use camera body while allowing viewing through the lens and the viewfinder so that practically identical images are registered with the lens and the viewfinder. The special effects available with this patent arise by sliding the special effects filter to one position of several special effect zones, which include changes in color rendition, over the lens and view finder simultaneously.
Commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0164160 discloses a system that allows a one-time-use camera to capture an image of a card that provides processing instructions to the photofinisher. While the '160 publication provides a useful and commercially viable solution, it may be desirable to capture images of a scene while at the same time capturing the metadata that is associated with the images.
It will be appreciated that digital cameras typically provide a greater ability to store and incorporate special effect information in images. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,326 discloses an instant special effects camera for children that employs plug-in cartridges to create a variety of special effects, e.g., picture frames, film stars, animals, which are overlayed upon the captured image. The camera uses an integrated thermal printer to produce the resulting image. The cartridges provide memory containing image content that adapts the captured image to form the print. This requires relatively expensive data cartridges. In other, more conventional digital cameras, a display and menuing system select and associate particular metadata such as special effect metadata with captured images.
Accordingly what is needed is a practical way to automatically incorporate selected metadata such as special effects with captured images. What is also needed is a low cost solution that is equally applicable for digital and film implementations.